Thursday, January 13, 2011

Jared Loughner is an extremist because he carried out the Arizona shootings while acting on his “political views,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday.

“Based on what I know, this is a criminal defendant who was in some ways motivated by his own political views, who had a particular animus toward the congresswoman,” Clinton said in an interview with CNN. “And I think when you cross the line from expressing opinions that are of conflicting differences in our political environment into taking action that’s violent action, that’s a hallmark of extremism, whether it comes from the right, the left, from Al Qaeda, from anarchists, whoever it is. That is a form of extremism.”

Clinton added, “So, yes, I think that when you’re a criminal who is in some way pursuing criminal activity connected to – however bizarre and poorly thought through – your political views, that’s a form of extremism.”

In another interview, with the BBC, in which she was asked about connections between the shooting and the assassination of a Pakistani governor, Clinton said she feels as if extremism is on the rise around the world.

"From a historical perspective, there is a long history in not only my country, but the world, of extreme violent actions occurring," she said. "But that doesn't make it any more acceptable because it's got a historic precedent."

She continued: "And it's time for people across the world to stand against extremism and violence. There is just so much we can do together, and so many opportunities, particularly for young people that we can create, that we cannot allow a small, vocal, violent minority to intimidate the vast majority of people who have moderate views, who want to live their own lives, and who do not want to be put in a position where they are forced to keep silent or to follow a certain religious or political ideology. But people have to be willing to stand up against that."...LINK ------------------------Fabulous view! Hillary Clinton, overseeing neoliberal combat operations, sidearm latte ready and at hand

1 comment:

How many Iraqis starved to death or died in other agonizing ways because of sanctions that President and Mrs. Clinton insisted on policing, or from constant USA bombing attacks on them. There were also two women who have gone public with claims that Bill raped them while he was president. So Hillary has still got some explaining to do, and no right to use Loughner's behavior as a smokescreen.